Liquid supply method

ABSTRACT

A method for supplying a liquid to an inhaler cartridge includes a housing body including an accommodation space capable of accommodating a liquid, a first opening communicating with the accommodation space and opened in a first direction, and a second opening communicating with the accommodation space and opened in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and a cap configured to be formed separately from the housing body and close the first opening. The method includes closing the first opening with the cap, and after the first opening is closed, supplying the liquid to the accommodation space through the second opening.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation application of InternationalApplication No. PCT/JP2017/004487, filed on Feb. 8, 2017.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a liquid supply method.

BACKGROUND ART

Flavor inhalers for inhaling flavor without burning a material have beenknown. As such flavor inhalers, for example, electronic cigarettes areknown. Electronic cigarettes supply an aerosol generated by atomizing aliquid containing a flavor such as nicotine (equivalent to an example ofan aerosol source) to the user's mouth, or cause an aerosol generated byatomizing a liquid that does not contain a flavor such as nicotine(equivalent to an example of an aerosol source) to pass through a flavorsource (e.g., a tobacco source) and then supply the aerosol to theuser's mouth.

Some electronic cigarettes include a tank or reservoir that accommodatesa liquid for generating an aerosol, and a heater that atomizing theliquid. Some such electronic cigarettes include an insulating ring formutually insulating a pair of conducting wires connecting the heater andthe battery (see, for example, PTL 1). It is necessary to supply aliquid for generating an aerosol to the tank or reservoir of such anelectronic cigarette.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

PTL 1: EP Patent Application Publication No. 2941969

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel liquidsupply method.

Solution to Problem

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided amethod for supplying a liquid to an inhaler cartridge including ahousing body including an accommodation space capable of accommodating aliquid, a first opening communicating with the accommodation space andopened in a first direction, and a second opening communicating with theaccommodation space and opened in a second direction substantiallyperpendicular to the first direction, and a cap configured to be formedseparately from the housing body and close the first opening. The methodincludes the steps of: closing the first opening with the cap, and afterthe first opening is closed, supplying the liquid to the accommodationspace through the second opening.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the method includes thestep of: after the liquid is supplied to the accommodation space,bringing a porous member into contact with the liquid to hold the liquidin the porous member.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the porous memberincludes a liquid holding member, and the step of holding the liquid inthe porous member includes a step of covering the second opening withthe porous member.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the method includes thestep of: engaging a conductor constituting part of an electric pathbetween a heating element and a battery portion with the cap andbringing the heating element into contact with a surface of the liquidholding member.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the method includes thestep of: after the heating element is brought into contact with asurface of the liquid holding member, attaching a cover member to thehousing body to define an air flow passage.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the porous memberincludes a porous heating element, and the step of holding the liquid inthe porous member includes a step of covering the second opening withthe porous member.

According to an aspect of the present invention, an area of a surface ofthe porous member facing the second opening is larger than an openingarea of the second opening.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the second openingincludes a plurality of openings, the housing body includes a partitionmember partitioning the plurality of openings, and the step of coveringthe second opening with the porous member includes a step of supportingthe porous member with the partition member.

According to an aspect of the present invention, an opening area of thesecond opening is larger than an opening area of the first opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of an inhaler according to a firstembodiment.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a cartridge illustrated inFIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cartridge in a state where a cap isassembled to a housing.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cartridge in a state where a cap, aliquid holding member, and a heater are assembled to a housing.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a cartridge in a state where allcomponents are assembled.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a cartridge in a state whereall components are assembled.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge taken along arrow 7-7illustrated in FIG. 6 .

FIG. 8 is a front view of a first surface side of a cap.

FIG. 9 is a view of the cartridge according to the first embodiment whenviewed from an end surface where an air outlet port is provided.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of a cartridge illustrating anexample of a different positional relationship between an air outletport and a heater.

FIG. 11 is a plan view illustrating a different form of a cover member.

FIG. 12 is a plan view illustrating a different form of a cover member.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a partition member.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of a partition member, a liquid holding member,and a heater.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating a different form of the cap.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view illustrating a different form of the cap.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view illustrating a different form of the cap.

FIG. 18 is a front view of the cap of FIG. 17 when viewed from a secondsurface side.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional side view of the cap of FIG. 17 .

FIG. 20 is a perspective view illustrating a different form of the cap.

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional side view of the cap of FIG. 20 .

FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to asecond embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a cartridge according to the secondembodiment in a state where a cap, a liquid holding member, and a heaterare assembled to a housing.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment

A first embodiment of the present invention is described below withreference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, the same orequivalent constituent elements are designated with the same referencenumerals, and a repetitive description will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of an inhaler according to thefirst embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , an inhaler 10 includes amouthpiece 11, a cartridge 20, and a battery portion 12. The cartridge20 atomizes a liquid including a flavor containing a component, e.g.,nicotine, and supplies the aerosol toward the mouthpiece 11. The batteryportion 12 supplies electric power to the cartridge 20. The mouthpiece11 guides the aerosol generated in the cartridge 20 to the user's mouth.After the inhaler 10 is used over a predetermined period of time, themouthpiece 11 and the cartridge 20 can be changed. Note that themouthpiece 11 may not be changed, but only the cartridge 20 may bechanged. In the first embodiment, the inhaler 10 is described to includethe mouthpiece 11, but is not limited thereto and the inhaler 10 may notinclude the mouthpiece 11. Moreover, in the first embodiment, thecartridge 20 and the mouthpiece 11 are configured as different members.However, the cartridge 20 and the mouthpiece 11 may be formedintegrally.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cartridge 20 illustratedin FIG. 1 . As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the cartridge 20 includes ahousing 30, a liquid holding member 40, a heater 50, and a cap 70. Inaddition to the above members, the cartridge 20 may include an outerhousing, which is not illustrated, that accommodates the above memberstherein. In that case, the components illustrated in FIG. 2 constitutepart of the cartridge 20.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cartridge 20 in a state where thecap 70 is assembled to the housing 30. FIG. 4 is a perspective view ofthe cartridge 20 in a state where the cap 70, the liquid holding member40 (equivalent to an example of the porous member), and the heater 50(equivalent to an example of the porous member or the porous heatingelement) are assembled to the housing 30. FIG. 5 is a perspective viewof the cartridge 20 in a state where all the components are assembled.FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the cartridge 20 in a statewhere all the components are assembled. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional viewof the cartridge 20 taken along arrow 7-7 illustrated in FIG. 6 .Details of the cartridge 20 are described below with reference to FIGS.2 to 7 . Note that, in the present specification, the longitudinaldirection indicates a direction in which the cartridge 20 and thebattery portion 12 of the inhaler 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 are aligned,and the transverse direction indicates a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Moreover, in the presentspecification, the upstream side indicates a side opposite to an airoutlet port 34 with reference to the position of the heater 50, or anupstream side in the direction of flow of the aerosol, and thedownstream side indicates a side close to the air outlet port 34 withreference to the position of the heater 50, or a downstream side in thedirection of flow of the aerosol.

The housing 30 is a member having a substantially cylindrical shapeextending in the longitudinal direction (equivalent to an example of thefirst direction) of the cartridge 20, and includes a tank 31 that canaccommodate a liquid. In the present specification, the internal spaceof the tank 31 is called an accommodation space 31 a (see FIG. 6 ). Inthe first embodiment, the housing 30 and the tank 31 are integrallyformed, but are not limited thereto and the housing 30 and the tank 31may be configured as different components. The housing 30 includes ahousing body 30 a and a cover member 60 attached to the housing body 30a. The housing body 30 a includes a partition member 36 constitutingpart of the tank 31. The partition member 36 longitudinally partitionsan air flow passage 62 defined when the cover member 60 is attached tothe housing body 30 a (see FIG. 6 ), and the accommodation space 31 a inthe tank 31. The partition member 36 includes a liquid supply port 32(equivalent to an example of the second opening) for supplying theliquid to the accommodation space 31 a in the tank 31. The liquid supplyport 32 is opened in the transverse direction (equivalent to an exampleof the second direction) of the cartridge 20 to bring the accommodationspace 31 a into communication with the air flow passage 62. Note thatthe communication herein includes communication of liquid andcommunication of gas.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 or the like, the partition member 36 includes arecess portion to which the liquid holding member 40 is fit, and theliquid supply port 32 is formed through the recess portion. That is, thepartition member 36 includes a first surface 36 a closest to the covermember 60 for the partition member 36, and a second surface 36 b closerto the accommodation space 31 a than the first surface 36 a is, and theliquid supply port 32 is formed through the second surface 36 b. Notethat the first surface 36 a and the second surface 36 b may have thesame height. In that case, the liquid holding member 40 is arranged onthe partition member 36 to cover the liquid supply ports 32. Thepartition member 36 is configured to support the liquid holding member40 fit to the recess portion of the partition member 36. In the firstembodiment, the number of liquid supply ports 32 provided is two, but isnot limited thereto and the number of liquid supply ports 32 providedmay be any number equal to or more than one. When the number of liquidsupply ports 32 provided is plural as in the first embodiment, thepartition member 36 partitions the plurality of liquid supply ports 32.

The tank 31 includes an opening 33 (equivalent to an example of thefirst opening) opened in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 20(see FIG. 7 ). The opening 33 is formed at an end face of the tank 31 ona side connected to the battery portion 12. In the first embodiment, theopening area of the liquid supply port 32 is configured to be greaterthan the opening area of the opening 33. In other words, because theliquid supply ports 32 are opened in the transverse direction, it ispossible to ensure an opening area greater than the opening 33, which isopened in the longitudinal direction, thereby enabling easy supply ofthe liquid into the tank 31. Note that, in cases where the number ofliquid supply ports 32 is plural, the opening area of the liquid supplyports 32 is the total opening area of the liquid supply ports 32.

Moreover, the housing 30 includes the air outlet port 34 through whichthe aerosol passes. Specifically, in the first embodiment, the housingbody 30 a includes the air outlet port 34 through an end surface on aside connected to the mouthpiece 11. The air outlet port 34 communicateswith the mouthpiece 11. When the inhaler 10 does not include themouthpiece 11, the user can directly inhale the aerosol through the airoutlet port 34. Note that, in the first embodiment, the air outlet port34 is formed through the housing body 30 a, but is not limited theretoand the air outlet port 34 may be defined by the housing body 30 a andthe cover member 60 such that the air outlet port 34 is formed when thecover member 60 is attached to the housing body 30 a. The air outletport 34 may be formed through the cover member 60. Moreover, the airoutlet port 34 may be formed, for example, through a side surface of thehousing 30. Furthermore, the housing body 30 a includes a cutout portion35 formed along the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 20. Thecutout portion 35 is covered by the cover member 60. The cutout portion35 is configured to expose the liquid holding member 40 and the heater50 when not covered by the cover member 60.

The cover member 60 is a member having a substantially plate shapeextending in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 20. The covermember 60 includes an air inlet port 61 penetrating in the direction ofthe thickness. The air inlet port 61 is provided at a position facingthe partition member 36 of the housing body 30 a and the heater 50. Inthe first embodiment, the air inlet ports 61 are provided atsubstantially equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of thecover member 60. Note that the number of air inlet ports 61 may be one.The cover member 60, together with the housing body 30 a, forms the airflow passage 62 (see FIGS. 6 and 7 ; equivalent to an example of thespace) in which the heater 50 and the liquid holding member 40 arestored. The air inlet ports 61 and the air outlet port 34 arecommunicated with each other via the air flow passage 62. Note that, inthe present embodiment, the air inlet ports 61 are configured to bedirectly opened to the ambient air and draw the ambient air, but are notlimited thereto and may be configured to draw air within an outerhousing, which is provided to surround the housing 30. In this case, thehousing 30 and the outer housing both may include a means for engagingwith the battery portion 12. Alternatively, the housing 30 may include ameans for engaging with the battery portion 12 and the outer housing maypress the housing 30 against the battery portion 12 such that thehousing 30 is engaged with the battery portion 12.

The liquid holding member 40 is a porous member formed, for example, ofcotton, glass fiber, or porous ceramic. In the present specification,the “liquid holding member” indicates a porous member that does not havea function of generating heat itself. As illustrated in FIG. 4 , theliquid holding member 40 is provided on the cartridge 20 to cover theliquid supply ports 32 of the partition member 36. In other words, theliquid holding member 40 is stacked on the partition member 36 and issupported by the partition member 36. The liquid accommodated in thetank 31 contacts the liquid holding member 40 and is absorbed and heldby the liquid holding member 40. In other words, the liquid holdingmember 40 draws up the liquid, which is accommodated in the tank 31,toward the heater 50. It is preferable that the area of the surface ofthe liquid holding member 40 facing the liquid supply port 32 be greaterthan the opening area of the liquid supply port 32. Thus, the entireopening area of the liquid supply port 32 can be covered by the liquidholding member 40 reliably, and supporting the liquid holding member 40with the partition member 36 is made easy.

The heater 50 generally has a substantially U shape and is arranged on aside opposite to the liquid supply port 32 across the liquid holdingmember 40. In other words, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the heater50 is arranged between the liquid holding member 40 and the cover member60. The heater 50 is not limited to the U shape, but may, for example,have a line shape or a planar shape. Specifically, the heater 50 canhave an I shape or be in a form in which heaters having an I shape aremutually connected by a lead wire. It is preferable that the heater 50,when having a planar shape, be arranged such that the end surface (planeportion) thereof contacts the liquid holding member 40.

Although not limited, it is preferable that the heater 50 be formed, forexample, of a porous metal that can hold liquid. The material of theporous metal used for the heater 50 is not particularly limited insofaras the material can be used as a wick-heater that atomizes the heldliquid by electric heating when the user smokes. The heater 50 can be aporous metal object including nickel, nichrome, and stainless steel(SUS). Moreover, as an electrically conductive material that cangenerate heat upon application of electric power, ceramic, e.g., siliconcarbide (SiC), may be used. The heater 50 of the first embodiment has athree-dimensional mesh structure. The three-dimensional mesh structureincludes a structure with gaps in which at least some of the gaps arecommunicated with one another, i.e., an open-cell structure. Such heater50 of the first embodiment has a function to draw up the liquid bycapillary action. Examples of the porous metal object having such anopen-cell structure include CELMET (registered trademark) manufacturedby Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. CELMET is a porous metal objectincluding nickel (Ni) or a porous metal object including an alloy ofnickel and chromium (Cr). Moreover, the heater 50 may be formed suchthat wires including nickel, nichrome, and stainless steel (SUS) arearranged on the liquid holding member 40 in a mesh pattern or parallelto one another.

The heater 50 is arranged to be at least partially in contact with or inclose proximity to the liquid holding member 40, and heats the liquidheld by the liquid holding member 40 to generate an aerosol. In caseswhere the heater 50 is formed of porous metal, when the heater 50contacts the liquid holding member 40, the heater 50 can absorb and holdthe liquid from the liquid holding member 40 and heat the held liquid togenerate the aerosol efficiently. Moreover, when the heater 50 is formedof porous metal, the liquid holding member 40 may not be provided on thecartridge 20. In this case, the heater 50 has a liquid holding functionin addition to a function as a heating element. Therefore, the heater 50is arranged in the recess portion of the partition member 36 such thatthe heater 50 made of a porous metal having a planar shape covers theliquid supply port 32 instead of the liquid holding member 40. Moreover,when the liquid holding member 40 is a porous and rigid body, e.g.,porous ceramic, a heater, e.g., of platinum or palladium, may beprovided on the liquid holding member 40 in a predetermined pattern, forexample, by means of printing or deposition.

The heater 50 includes a pair of lead wires 51 (equivalent to an exampleof conductor) for connection to the battery portion 12. The lead wires51 are received by a pair of reception portions 76, which will bedescribed later, of the cap 70. The heater 50 includes locking portions52 provided by being branched from the lead wires 51. The lockingportions 52 are locked to a second surface 72, which will be describedlater, of the cap 70 when the lead wires 51 are received in thereception portions 76, and suppress the movement of the heater 50 in thelongitudinal direction toward the mouthpiece 11 (air outlet port 34side). Moreover, the locking portions 52 may be configured to be lockedto a first surface 71, which will be described later, of the cap 70. Inthis case, it is possible to suppress the movement of the heater 50 inthe longitudinal direction toward the battery portion 12 side. Asillustrated in FIGS. 22 and 23 , which will be described later, thelocking portions 52 may be formed by bending ends of the lead wires 51.

Next, the cap 70 is described in detail. As illustrated in FIG. 2 , thecap 70 is configured to be attachable to and detachable from thecartridge 20. That is, the cap 70 is configured to be a componentseparate from the components constituting the cartridge 20. Thus,different members can be used for the cap 70 and the housing 30 of thecartridge 20. For example, when the cap 70 is formed of a flexiblemember, the cap 70 can be easily attached to and detached from thecartridge 20, and when the housing 30 is formed of a non-flexible member(member having high rigidity), the strength of the housing 30 can beincreased. In an embodiment, for example, the cap 70 may be configuredto be integral with the housing 30 or the tank 31. Moreover, it ispreferable that the cap 70 be made of a material having an insulationproperty, e.g., plastic, or a material having an insulation property andflexibility, e.g., silicon. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 7 , the cap 70is configured to be arranged between the tank 31 and the battery portion12 illustrated in FIG. 1 in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge20. Moreover, in other words, the cap 70 is provided in a middle of theelectric path of a conductor that connects the heater 50 and the batteryportion 12. The cap 70 is configured to seal at least part of the spacein the tank 31. Specifically, the cap 70 is configured to seal theopening 33 of the tank 31 when attached to the cartridge 20.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the cap 70 includes the first surface 71, thesecond surface 72 opposite to the first surface 71, and a cap sidesurface 73. The cap side surface 73 is a surface connecting the outercircumferential edge of the first surface 71 and the outercircumferential edge of the second surface 72. The cap 70 of the firstembodiment generally has a substantially plate shape, but the shape isnot limited thereto.

The FIG. 8 is a front view of the cap 70 on the first surface 71 side.As illustrated in FIG. 8 , the cap 70 includes, on the first surface 71,a seal region 74 that seals at least part of the space in the tank 31.The seal region 74 includes a portion that contacts the edge of the tank31 constituting the opening 33 and a portion that closes the opening 33.Moreover, the cap 70 includes, on the seal region 74 of the firstsurface 71, a protrusion portion 75 having a substantially D shape inthe front view illustrated in FIG. 8 . The protrusion portion 75 is fitto the opening 33 of the tank 31 when the cap 70 is attached to thecartridge 20, and increases the sealing property of the cap 70. That is,as illustrated in FIG. 7 , in the first embodiment, the opening 33includes an opening having a D shape corresponding to the shape of theprotrusion portion 75.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 8 , the cap 70 includes the pair ofreception portions 76 that receives the pair of lead wires 51 of theheater 50. In the first embodiment, the reception portions 76 receivethe pair of lead wires 51, but are not limited thereto and the receptionportions 76 can receive any conductor that constitutes part of theelectric path between the heater 50 and the battery portion 12. In thepresent specification, the conductor include any conductors forelectrically connecting the heater and the battery portion, such as partof the heater 50, the lead wire 51 connected to the heater 50, a leadwire, which is not illustrated, connected to the battery portion 12, aconductive wire (connector) connecting the lead wire 51 of the heater 50and the lead wire of the battery portion 12, a terminal of the heater50, a terminal of the battery portion 12, and a combination thereof. Asillustrated in FIG. 8 , the reception portions 76 are provided on anouter side of the seal region 74. In other words, the reception portions76 are provided so as not to be positioned in the seal region 74 on thesurface of the cap 70. Thus, any conductor (e.g., the lead wire 51)received by the reception portions 76 does not have influence on theseal region 74 that seals the opening 33 of the tank 31. In other words,because the conductor does not pass through the seal region 74, it isnot necessary to provide a hole or the like through which the conductorpasses in the seal region 74, and the leakage of liquid from the tank 31can be prevented more reliably.

The reception portions 76 are provided at at least part of the cap sidesurface 73. In the first embodiment, the reception portions 76 areformed on the cap side surface 73 and have the form of a recess portionpenetrating from the first surface 71 to the second surface 72. Morespecifically, as illustrated in FIG. 8 , the reception portions 76 inthe form of a recess portion are provided to cut into the central sideof the cap 70 relative to an outer circumferential surface 73 a of thecap side surface 73. In other words, the reception portions 76 areprovided to be dented substantially in a direction of the center whenthe cap 70 is viewed in the front view of FIG. 8 . At least part of thecap side surface 73 is configured to contact each of the pair ofconductors connecting the heater 50 and the battery portion 12 when thereception portions 76 receive the pair of lead wires 51. In other words,the cap 70 does not have a hole allowing for the passage of theconductor that connects the heater 50 and the battery portion 12.Therefore, each of the pair of conductors passes through the outercircumferential surface side of the cap 70.

The cap 70 of the first embodiment has a positional relationship to bedescribed below between the seal region 74 and the reception portions76. That is, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 8 , when the seal region 74and the other region of the first surface 71 of the cap 70 are dividedby one virtual plane P1 that is parallel to the longitudinal directionof the cartridge 20, the tank 31 is positioned on the seal region 74side relative to the plane P1 and the reception portions 76 and theheater 50 are positioned on a side opposite to the seal region 74relative to the plane P1. That is, the cap 70 of the first embodimenthas a positional relationship in which the seal region 74 is clearlydistinguished from the reception portions 76 by the one plane P1.Therefore, the reception portions 76 do not have influence on the sealregion 74, and the leakage of liquid from the tank 31 attributable tothe reception portions 76 can be prevented more reliably.

Next, a procedure for assembling the cartridge 20 is described. First,as illustrated in FIG. 3 , the opening 33 of the tank 31 is closed bycap 70. Thus, the seal region 74 of the cap 70 seals the opening 33, andthe leakage of liquid through the opening 33 is prevented. Next, aliquid, which is an aerosol source, is supplied into the accommodationspace 31 a through the liquid supply ports 32. Then, as illustrated inFIG. 4 , the liquid holding member 40 is arranged to cover the liquidsupply ports 32. The partition member 36 has a recess portion formed ofa step between the first surface 36 a and the second surface 36 b.Therefore, even if the liquid is somewhat spilled through the liquidsupply ports 32 of the tank 31, the liquid is retained in the recessportion. When the liquid holding member 40 is arranged to cover theliquid supply ports 32, the liquid holding member 40 holds the liquid,preventing leakage of the liquid from the tank 31. In other words, thecartridge 20 can hold the liquid in an amount of equal to or more thanthe volume of the tank 31 by means of the liquid holding member 40.

Meanwhile, if the liquid holding member 40 is arranged to cover theliquid supply ports 32 and then the liquid is supplied to theaccommodation space 31 a through the opening 33, there is a possibilitythat the liquid could be leaked from a gap between the liquid holdingmember 40 and the liquid supply ports 32 or through the liquid holdingmember 40. Moreover, in this case, because the liquid is supplied to theaccommodation space 31 a and then the cap 70 is attached to the opening33, the pressure in the accommodation space rises when the opening 33 isclosed by the cap 70, thereby possibly accelerating leakage of theliquid through the liquid supply ports 32. Accordingly, when the opening33 of the tank 31 is closed by the cap 70 and the liquid is suppliedinto the accommodation space 31 a as in the manner of the presentembodiment, the leakage of the liquid from the tank 31 can be prevented.

Note that when the heater 50 is formed of porous metal as describedabove, the cartridge 20 may not include the liquid holding member 40. Inthis case, the heater 50 made of a porous metal having a planar shape isarranged in the recess portion of the partition member 36 such that theheater 50 covers the liquid supply ports 32 instead of the liquidholding member 40. Moreover, in this case, because the heater 50directly contacts the housing 30 (in the first embodiment, partitionmember 36), the contact portion of the housing 30 may be formed of aheat-resistant material or may be covered with a heat-resistantmaterial.

Next, the heater 50 is arranged on the liquid holding member 40. At thistime, the lead wires 51 of the heater 50 are received by the receptionportions 76. In other words, the lead wires 51 of the heater 50 areengaged with the reception portions 76 of the cap 70 to bring the heater50 into contact with the surface of the liquid holding member 40.Because the reception portions 76 have the shape of a recess portionformed on the cap side surface 73, the lead wires 51 can be easilyarranged in the reception portions 76 from the side of the cap 70.

Finally, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7 , the cover member 60 isattached to the housing body 30 a to cover the cutout portion 35. Thus,assembling of the cartridge 20 is completed. In a state where all of thecomponents of the cartridge 20 are assembled, as illustrated in FIGS. 6and 7 , the air flow passage 62 is defined by the cover member 60 andthe housing body 30 a. When electric power is supplied to the heater 50,the liquid held by the liquid holding member 40 is heated, and anaerosol is generated. Moreover, when the heater 50 can be used as awick-heater, the liquid held by the heater 50 is heated and an aerosolis generated. When the user inhales the air through the mouthpiece 11,the air flowing in through the air inlet ports 61 of the cover member 60passes through the air flow passage 62 and flows out through the airoutlet port 34 together with the aerosol present in the air flow passage62. Thus, the aerosol is supplied into the user's mouth.

As described above, the cap 70 of the cartridge 20 includes the sealregion 74 and the reception portions 76 provided on an outer side of theseal region 74. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide, in the sealregion 74, a hole or the like for holding the conductor (e.g., the leadwires 51) to be received by the reception portions 76. Accordingly, theleakage of the liquid in the tank 31 toward the battery portion 12 sidethrough the reception portions 76 can be prevented more reliably.

Moreover, in the cartridge 20 of the present embodiment, the liquidsupply ports 32 are opened in the transverse direction, and thereception portions 76 are provided at at least part of the cap sidesurface 73 of the cap 70. Therefore, when the liquid holding member 40and the heater 50 are assembled to the cartridge 20, the liquid supplyports 32 can be covered with the liquid holding member 40 in thetransverse direction, and the lead wires 51 can be arranged in thereception portions 76 from the side of the cap 70. Therefore, ascompared with the case where the lead wires 51 are inserted into thereception portions having a through-hole shape formed in thelongitudinal direction, the liquid holding member 40 and the heater 50can be easily assembled to the cartridge 20.

Moreover, in the case of the cartridge 20 of the present embodiment, thepair of lead wires 51 are arranged to be spaced apart so as not to bemutually electrically connected. Specifically, in the presentembodiment, each of the pair of reception portions 76 receives the leadwire 51. However, it is not limited thereto, but the number of receptionportions 76 may be one. In that case, the pair of lead wires 51 arereceived by the one reception portion 76 without mutual electricalcontact. Moreover, the pair of lead wires 51 may be covered with aninsulation material so as not to electrically contact each other. Theshape of the reception portions 76 may be any shape that can receive theconductor.

Note that the cap 70 of the first embodiment has a substantially plateshape including the first surface 71, the second surface 72, and the capside surface 73, but the shape is not limited thereto insofar as thereception portions 76 are provided on an outer side of the seal region74. For example, the cap 70 may be any shape, e.g., a spherical shape ora columnar shape having a spherical surface at an end. Moreover, thecartridge 20 of the first embodiment is configured such that the leadwires 51 of the heater 50 are arranged on the reception portions 76 ofthe cap 70, but is not limited thereto and a conductor (e.g., aconnector member) or the like different from the heater 50 and the leadwires 51 may be arranged on the reception portions 76, and the conductormay be connected to the lead wires 51 of the heater 50. That is, in thiscase, a conductor (e.g., a connector member) is arranged between thefirst surface 71 and the second surface 72 of the cap 70.

Next, a positional relationship between the accommodation space 31 a,the air flow passage 62, the partition member 36, the heater 50, the airinlet ports 61, and the air outlet port 34 in the transverse directionof the cartridge 20 illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 8 is described. Asillustrated in FIGS. 2 to 6 , the cartridge 20 includes the air inletports 61 (cover member 60), the air flow passage 62, the partitionmember 36, and the accommodation space 31 a of the tank 31 in this orderalong the transverse direction. The heater 50 is arranged between theair inlet ports 61 and the partition member 36 and within the air flowpassage 62.

FIG. 9 is a view of the cartridge 20 according to the first embodimentwhen viewed from an end surface where the air outlet port 34 isprovided. As described with regard to FIG. 6 , when the user inhales theair through the mouthpiece 11 or the air outlet port 34, the air flowingin through the air inlet ports 61 of the cover member 60 passes throughthe air flow passage 62 and flows toward the air outlet port 34. At thistime, in order for the air flowing in through the air inlet ports 61 toefficiently deliver the aerosol, which is generated by the heater 50, tothe air outlet port 34, it is preferable that the air flowing in throughthe air inlet ports 61 flow in the air flow passage 62 to pass throughthe vicinity or inside the heater 50. In other words, when the airflowing in through the air inlet ports 61 flows toward the air outletport 34 without passing through the vicinity or inside the heater 50,the air cannot sufficiently entrain the airborne aerosol in the vicinityof the heater 50. Therefore, in the first embodiment, as illustrated inFIG. 9 , the position of the air outlet port 34 in the transversedirection is provided to be partially overlapped in the longitudinaldirection with the position of the heater 50 in the transversedirection.

Moreover, as illustrated in FIG. 6 , it is preferable that at least partof the heater 50 be present at the same position as any one of the airinlet ports 61 or positioned on the air outlet port 34 side with respectto any one of the air inlet ports 61 in the longitudinal direction. Inother words, as illustrated in FIG. 6 , when an end of the heater 50close to the air outlet port 34 in the longitudinal direction is definedas a first end 50 b and an end far from the air outlet port 34 isdefined as a second end 50 c, at least one of the air inlet ports 61 ispreferably provided on an upstream side of the first end 50 b of theheater 50 with respect to the longitudinal position. Moreover, the airinlet ports 61 may be provided on an upstream side of the second end 50c of the heater 50 with respect to the longitudinal position. Note thatthe air outlet port 34 herein is not the opening of the air outlet port34 exposed to the outside of the cartridge 20, but is an interfacebetween the air flow passage 62 and the air outlet port 34, i.e., anopening of the air outlet port 34 to the air flow passage 62.

For example, when the position of the air outlet port 34 in thetransverse direction is present on the air inlet port 61 side relativeto the position of the heater 50 in the transverse direction, the airflowing in through the air inlet ports 61 passes through the shortestpassage to the air outlet port 34 and hardly contacts the heater 50.Meanwhile, when the air outlet port 34 and the heater 50 have thepositional relationship illustrated in FIG. 9 , at least part of theheater 50 is arranged in the air flow passage 62 through which the airflowing in through the air inlet ports 61 flows out through the airoutlet port 34, and therefore the air from the air inlet ports 61 easilycontacts the heater 50.

The positional relationship of the air outlet port 34 and the heater 50in the transverse direction is not limited to the above. FIG. 10 is across-sectional side view of the cartridge 20 illustrating an example ofa different positional relationship between the air outlet port 34 andthe heater 50. As illustrated in FIG. 10 , in the case of this cartridge20, the air outlet port 34 is positioned on the accommodation space 31 aside relative to the heater 50 in the transverse direction.Specifically, an upper end 34 a of the air outlet port 34 close to theair inlet port 61 side is positioned on the accommodation space 31 aside in the transverse direction relative to an upper end 50 a of theheater 50 close to the air inlet port 61 side. In the exampleillustrated in FIG. 10 , the upper end 34 a of the air outlet port 34close to the air inlet port 61 side is positioned on the accommodationspace 31 a side in the transverse direction relative to a lower end 50 dof the heater 50 far from the air inlet port 61 side.

When the air outlet port 34 and the heater 50 have the positionalrelationship illustrated in FIG. 10 , the upper end 34 a of the airoutlet port 34 is positioned on the accommodation space 31 a side in thetransverse direction relative to the lower end 50 d of the heater 50.Therefore, the air from the air inlet ports 61 easily contacts theheater 50. Eventually, the aerosol generated through heating by theheater 50 can be efficiently delivered to the air outlet port 34.

Next, another form example of the cover member 60 illustrated in FIGS. 2to 10 is described. FIGS. 11 and 12 are plan views illustrating adifferent form of the cover member 60. As illustrated in FIG. 11 , thecover member 60 includes a plurality of air inlet ports 61 providedalong the longitudinal direction. Moreover, the cover member 60illustrated in FIG. 12 includes a single air inlet port 61 providedalong the longitudinal direction.

In cases where the air inlet ports 61 have the same opening area, whenthe user inhales the air through the mouthpiece 11 (see FIG. 1 ) or theair outlet port 34, the amount of air flowing in through an air inletport 61 positioned close to the air outlet port 34 becomes larger thanthe amount of air flowing in through an air inlet port 61 positioned farfrom the air outlet port 34. Similarly, in cases where a single airinlet port 61 has a constant area per unit length in the longitudinaldirection, when the user inhales the air through the mouthpiece 11 (seeFIG. 1 ) or the air outlet port 34, the amount of air flowing in througha portion of the air inlet port 61 positioned close to the air outletport 34 is larger than the amount of air flowing in through a portion ofthe air inlet port 61 positioned far from the air outlet port 34.

In contrast, the air inlet ports 61 illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12 havean opening area formed to be smaller toward the air outlet port 34. Inother words, the area of an air inlet port 61 on a side proximal to theair outlet port 34 is smaller than the area of an air inlet port 61 on aside distal to the air outlet port 34. Thus, the amount of air flowingin through each of the air inlet ports 61 or the amount of air flowingin from each position of the single air inlet port 61 in thelongitudinal direction can be equalized. As a result, the air cancontact the entire heater 50, and thus the aerosol can be deliveredefficiently.

Next, the shape of the partition member 36 of the cartridge 20illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 8 is described in detail. FIG. 13 is a planview of the partition member 36. As illustrated in FIG. 13 , thepartition member 36 includes a downstream-side end 36 e positioned on aside closest to the air outlet port 34 and an upstream-side end 36 fpositioned on a side farthest from the air outlet port 34. Thedownstream-side end 36 e is an end that contacts the housing 30 in thelongitudinal direction as illustrated in FIG. 6 . The upstream-side end36 f is an end that contacts the cap 70. Moreover, the liquid supplyport 32 of the partition member 36 includes a downstream-side openingedge 36 c positioned on a side closest to the air outlet port 34 and anupstream-side opening edge 36 d positioned on a side farthest from theair outlet port 34. Note that, when a plurality of liquid supply ports32 is present as illustrated in FIG. 13 , the downstream-side openingedge 36 c is an opening edge positioned on the most downstream side ofthe plurality of liquid supply ports 32 and the upstream-side openingedge 36 d is an opening edge positioned on the most upstream side of theplurality of liquid supply ports 32. Furthermore, the partition member36 includes an upstream portion 36 h positioned between theupstream-side opening edge 36 d of the liquid supply port 32 and theupstream-side end 36 f, and a downstream portion 36 g positioned betweenthe downstream-side opening edge 36 c of the liquid supply port 32 andthe downstream-side end 36 e.

In the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 13 , the partitionmember 36 is formed such that the liquid supply ports 32 are generallyshifted to the upstream side. More specifically, the liquid supply ports32 are formed on the partition member 36 such that distance L2 betweenthe upstream-side opening edge 36 d of the liquid supply ports 32 andthe upstream-side end 36 f of the partition member 36 is smaller thandistance L1 between the downstream-side opening edge 36 c of the liquidsupply ports 32 and the downstream-side end 36 e of the partition member36. The distance L2 between the upstream-side opening edge 36 d of theliquid supply ports 32 and the upstream-side end 36 f of the partitionmember 36 can be said to be a longitudinal length of the upstreamportion 36 h of the partition member 36. Similarly, the distance L1between the downstream-side opening edge 36 c of the liquid supply ports32 and the downstream-side end 36 e of the partition member 36 can besaid to be a longitudinal length of the downstream portion 36 g of thepartition member 36. Accordingly, the longitudinal length of theupstream portion 36 h is shorter than the longitudinal length of thedownstream portion 36 g.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the partition member 36, the liquid holdingmember 40, and the heater 50. As illustrated in FIG. 14 , the liquidholding member 40 is provided in the recess portion of the partitionmember 36, and the heater 50 is arranged on the liquid holding member40. The heater 50 includes the first end 50 b (equivalent to an exampleof a downstream-side heater end) positioned on a side closest to the airoutlet port 34 and the second end 50 c (equivalent to an example of anupstream-side heater end) positioned on a side farthest from the airoutlet port 34.

In the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 14 , the heater 50 isalso arranged to be generally shifted to the upstream side. Morespecifically, distance L4 between the second end 50 c and theupstream-side end 36 f of the partition member 36 is smaller thandistance L3 between the first end 50 b and the downstream-side end 36 eof the partition member 36.

The inhaler 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is held by the user such that, whenthe user inhales the air through the mouthpiece 11, the cartridge 20 isnormally at a position lower than the mouthpiece 11, i.e., the upstreamside is positioned below. Accordingly, if the liquid supply ports 32 areprovided to be shifted to the downstream side, the position of theliquid supply ports 32 at a time when the inhaler 10 is used ispositioned above as compared with the case where the liquid supply ports32 are provided to be shifted to the upstream side. In this case, whenthe inhaler 10 is used, the liquid in the tank 31 is retained on theupstream side (lower side) by gravity. Therefore, when the liquid in thetank 31 is reduced, there is a possibility that the liquid hardlycontacts the liquid holding member 40.

Meanwhile, if the liquid supply ports 32, the liquid holding member 40,and the heater 50 are provided across the entire partition member 36 inthe longitudinal direction, the heater 50 is arranged in close proximityto the air outlet port 34. In this case, there is a possibility that theaerosol generated near the first end 50 b of the heater 50 is notsufficiently cooled, but is guided at high temperature to the air outletport 34 and reaches the user's mouth. Moreover, in cases where theliquid supply ports 32, the liquid holding member 40, and the heater 50are provided across the entire partition member 36 in the longitudinaldirection, when the liquid in the tank 31 is reduced, the liquid ishardly absorbed by a downstream-side (upper side) portion of the liquidholding member 40. That is, because the liquid becomes easily held by anupstream-side (lower side) portion of the liquid holding member 40, theheat near the first end 50 b of the heater 50 hardly make a contributionto generating the aerosol, possibly resulting in a reduction inefficiency.

Therefore, in the first embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 10 , theliquid supply ports 32 are arranged to be generally shifted to theupstream side such that the liquid supply ports 32 are positioned belowwhen the inhaler 10 is used. When the inhaler 10 is used, the liquid inthe tank 31 is retained on the upstream side (lower side) by gravity.Therefore, even when the liquid in the tank 31 is reduced, the liquidcan be efficiently held by the liquid holding member 40 via the liquidsupply ports 32. Eventually, the liquid can be efficiently heated by theentire heater 50 to generate the aerosol.

Moreover, in the first embodiment, the liquid supply ports 32 and theheater 50 are not provided on the downstream side of the partitionmember 36. Therefore, it is possible to increase the distance over whichthe aerosol generated by the heater 50 reaches the air outlet port 34(see FIGS. 2 to 8 ). As a result, the distance over which the generatedaerosol reaches the user's mouth is increased, and the time for coolingthe aerosol can be increased.

As illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14 , it is preferable that the area ofthe surface of the liquid holding member 40 facing the liquid supplyports 32 be smaller than the area of the surface of the partition member36 where the liquid supply ports 32 are provided (in the firstembodiment, the surface including the first surface 36 a and the secondsurface 36 b). Thus, a sufficient amount of liquid to be held per unitarea of the liquid holding member 40 can be ensured. In addition,because the heater 50 and the liquid supply ports 32 are positioned toface each other across the liquid holding member 40, the liquid isdirectly supplied to a portion of the liquid holding member 40 that iseasily heated by the heater 50, and it is possible to suppress depletionof the liquid (aerosol source) held by the liquid holding member 40during heating by the heater 50.

Next, another form example of the cap 70 illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 8 isdescribed. FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating a different formof the cap 70. As illustrated in FIG. 15 , the cap 70 differs from thecap 70 illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 8 in shape of the reception portions76. That is, in the case of the cap 70 illustrated in FIG. 15 , theshape of the first surface 71 and the second surface 72 is formed in asubstantially semicircular shape, and the cap side surface 73 includestwo reception portions 76. Specifically, each of the reception portions76 of the cap 70 includes a pair of projections 78 projecting from thecap side surface 73. A recess portion is formed between the pair ofprojections 78, and the lead wires 51 of the heater 50 illustrated inFIG. 2 or the like are received in the recess portions. Thus, the pairof lead wires 51 is arranged to be spaced apart without mutualelectrical contact. Note that three projections 78 may be provided onthe cap side surface 73. In this case, two reception portions 76 areformed between the three projections 78. Moreover, the number ofreception portions 76 may be one. In that case, the pair of lead wires51 is received by one reception portion 76 so as not to electricallycontact each other.

Also in the case of the cap 70 illustrated in FIG. 15 , similar to thecap 70 illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 8 , the reception portions 76 areprovided on an outer side of the seal region 74. Therefore, the leakageof the liquid in the tank 31 to the battery portion 12 side via thereception portions 76 can be prevented more reliably. Moreover, becausethe reception portions 76 are provided at at least part of the cap sidesurface 73 of the cap 70, the lead wires 51 can be arranged in thereception portions 76 from the side of the cap 70, and the heater 50 canbe easily assembled to the cartridge 20. Furthermore, because the cap 70illustrated in FIG. 15 is a plate-shaped body having a substantiallysemicircular shape, it is possible to increase the area of the air flowpassage through which the internal space 62, which is formed by thecover member 60 and the housing 30, communicates with the space on thebattery portion 12 side when the cap 70 is assembled to the cartridge20. Accordingly, for example, when the air inlet port is provided on theupstream side (battery portion 12 side) relative to the cap 70, the aircan be supplied to the internal space 62 from the upstream side of thecap 70. Note that, in this case, the cover member 60 may not include theair inlet port 61.

Moreover, in the case of the cap 70 illustrated in FIG. 15 , a conductor(e.g., a connector member) or the like different from the heater 50 andthe lead wire 51 may be arranged on the reception portion 76, and theconductor may be connected to the lead wire 51 of the heater 50. Thatis, in this case, the conductor (e.g., a connector member) is arrangedbetween the first surface 71 and the second surface 72 of the cap 70.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view illustrating a different form of the cap70. As illustrated in FIG. 16 , this cap 70 differs from the cap 70illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 15 in shape of the reception portions 76. Thatis, the reception portions 76 of the cap 70 illustrated in FIG. 16 havea hole shape penetrating between the first surface 71 and the secondsurface 72. Moreover, the reception portions 76 of the cap 70 receiveconnector members 79 (equivalent to an example of the conductor)extending between the first surface 71 and the second surface 72. Theconnector member 79 is configured to have one end connected to the leadwire 51 of the heater 50 and the other end connected to a lead wire or aterminal, which is not illustrated, of the battery portion 12 so as toconduct the lead wire 51 to the battery portion 12.

When the cap 70 illustrated in FIG. 16 is used in the cartridge 20, thelead wires 51 of the heater 50 are formed to be somewhat shorter thanthe lead wires 51 illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 7 . When the heater 50 isarranged on the liquid holding member 40, the lead wires 51 are broughtinto contact with or connected to ends of the connector members 79provided in the cap 70. Thus, the lead wires 51 are conducted to thebattery portion 12.

Similar to the cap 70 illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 15 , the cap 70illustrated in FIG. 16 also includes the reception portions 76 on anouter side of the seal region 74. Therefore, the leakage of the liquidin the tank 31 to the battery portion 12 side through the receptionportions 76 can be prevented more reliably. Moreover, because the cap 70illustrated in FIG. 16 includes the connector members 79 arranged in thereception portions 76, the heater 50 can be easily assembled to thecartridge 20 so as to be conducted to the battery portion 12. Asillustrated in FIG. 16 , when the connector members 79 have a lengthprotruding from the first surface 71 and the second surface 72 of thecap 70, a recess portion or the like by which the lead wires 51 can beconnected in the transverse direction of the cartridge 20 may beprovided at ends of the connector members 79. In that case, when theliquid holding member 40 and the heater 50 are assembled to thecartridge 20, the liquid supply ports 32 may be covered with the liquidholding member 40 in the transverse direction, and the lead wires 51 maybe connected to the connector members 79 in the transverse direction.Therefore, the liquid holding member 40 and the heater 50 can be furthereasily assembled to the cartridge 20. Note that the connector members 79illustrated in FIG. 16 have a length protruding from the first surface71 and the second surface 72 of the cap 70, but, for example, may have alength fit within the reception portions 76 so as to be accommodated inthe reception portions 76. In this case, when the ends of the lead wires51 of the heater 50 are inserted into the reception portions 76, theends of the lead wires 51 are guided by the reception portions 76 towardthe connector members 79, and the ends of the lead wires 51 are broughtinto contact with or connected to the connector members 79.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view illustrating a different form of the cap70. FIG. 18 is a front view of the cap of FIG. 17 when viewed from thesecond surface 72 side. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional side view of thecap of FIG. 17 . As illustrated in FIG. 17 , in the case of this cap 70,the first surface 71 includes the seal region 74, and the first surface71 and the second surface 72 are formed to have a substantiallysemicircular shape. The reception portions 76, when viewed in sidecross-section illustrated in FIG. 19 , have a form of a hole having asubstantially L shape penetrating through the cap side surface 73 andthe second surface 72.

As illustrated in FIG. 19 , the reception portion 76 of the cap 70receives the connector member 79 (equivalent to an example of theconductor) extending between the cap side surface 73 and the secondsurface 72. The connector member 79 is configured to have one endconnected to the lead wire 51 of the heater 50 and the other endconnected to a lead wire or terminal, which is not illustrated, of thebattery portion 12 so as to conduct the lead wire 51 to the batteryportion 12. In the illustrated example, the connector member 79 isconfigured to protrude from the hole of the reception portion 76, but isnot limited thereto and may be configured such that the end of theconnector member 79 is positioned in the reception portion 76. Notethat, regarding the cap 70 illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18 , illustrationof the connector members 79 is omitted.

In cases where the cap 70 illustrated in FIG. 17 is used in thecartridge 20, when the heater 50 is arranged on the liquid holdingmember 40, the lead wires 51 are brought into contact with or connectedto the ends of the connector members 79 provided in the cap 70. Becausethe lead wire or terminal, which is not illustrated, of the batteryportion 12 is conducted to the ends of the connector members 79positioned on the second surface 72 side, the lead wires 51 areconducted to the battery portion 12. Note that, when the ends of theconnector members 79 are configured to be positioned in the receptionportions 76, the lead wires 51 are formed in an L shape such that theends of the lead wires 51 enter the holes of the reception portions 76formed in the cap side surface 73 when the heater 50 is arranged on theliquid holding member 40. Thus, the lead wires 51 are brought intocontact with or connected to the ends of the connector members 79 suchthat the heater 50 is conducted to the battery portion 12.

Similar to the cap 70 illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 16 , the cap 70illustrated in FIG. 17 also includes the reception portions 76 on anouter side of the seal region 74. Therefore, the leakage of the liquidin the tank 31 to the battery portion 12 side via the reception portions76 can be prevented more reliably. Moreover, because the cap 70illustrated in FIG. 17 includes the connector members 79 arranged in thereception portions 76, the heater 50 can be easily assembled to thecartridge 20 so as to be conducted to the battery portion 12.Furthermore, because the cap illustrated in FIG. 17 is a plate-shapedbody having a substantially semicircular shape, it is possible toincrease the area of the air flow passage through which the internalspace 62, which is formed by the cover member 60 and the housing 30,communicates with the space on the battery portion 12 side when the cap70 is assembled to the cartridge 20. Accordingly, for example, when theair inlet port is provided on the upstream side (battery portion 12side) of the cap 70, the air can be supplied to the internal space 62from the upstream side of the cap 70. Note that, in this case, the covermember 60 may not include the air inlet port 61. Moreover, the cap 70illustrated in FIG. 17 does not include the protrusion portion 75 of thecap 70 illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 16 , but may include the protrusionportion 75 in the seal region 74. The reception portions 76 have a formof a hole penetrating through the cap side surface 73 and the secondsurface 72, but may instead have a form of a recess portion penetratingthrough the cap side surface 73 and the second surface 72.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a different form of the cap 70. FIG. 21is a cross-sectional side view of the cap of FIG. 20 . As illustrated inFIG. 20 , this cap 70 is similar to the cap 70 illustrated in FIGS. 17to 19 such that the first surface 71 includes the seal region 74, andthe first surface 71 and the second surface 72 are formed to have asubstantially semicircular shape. Meanwhile, this cap 70 differs fromthe cap 70 illustrated in FIGS. 17 to 19 in that the reception portions76 have a form of a hole having a substantially L shape penetratingthrough the cap side surface 73 and the first surface 71 when viewed inside cross-section illustrated in FIG. 21 . As illustrated in FIG. 20 ,the holes constituting the reception portions 76 formed in the firstsurface 71 are positioned on an outer side of the seal region 74.

As illustrated in FIG. 21 , the reception portion 76 of the cap 70receives the connector member 79 (equivalent to an example of theconductor) extending between the cap side surface 73 and the firstsurface 71. The connector member 79 is configured to have one endconnected to the lead wire 51 of the heater 50 and the other endconnected to a lead wire or terminal, which is not illustrated, of thebattery portion 12 so as to conduct the lead wire 51 to the batteryportion 12. In the illustrated example, the connector member 79 isconfigured to protrude from the hole of the reception portion 76, but isnot limited thereto and may be configured such that the end of theconnector member 79 is positioned in the reception portion 76. Notethat, regarding the cap 70 illustrated in FIG. 20 , illustration of theconnector member 79 is omitted.

In cases where the cap 70 illustrated in FIGS. 20 and 21 is used in thecartridge 20, when the heater 50 is arranged on the liquid holdingmember 40, the lead wires 51 are brought into contact with or connectedto the ends of the connector members 79 protruding from the receptionportions 76 formed in the first surface 71. The connector members 79protruding from the reception portions 76 formed in the cap side surface73 are connected to the lead wire or terminal, which is not illustrated,of the battery portion 12. Thus, the heater 50 is conducted to thebattery portion 12.

Similar to the cap 70 illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 19 , the cap 70illustrated in FIG. 20 also includes the reception portions 76 on anouter side of the seal region 74. Therefore, the leakage of the liquidin the tank 31 to the battery portion 12 side via the reception portions76 can be prevented more reliably. Moreover, because the cap 70illustrated in FIG. 20 includes the connector members 79 arranged in thereception portions 76, the heater 50 can be easily assembled to thecartridge 20 so as to be conducted to the battery portion 12.Furthermore, because the cap 70 illustrated in FIG. 20 is a plate-shapedbody having a substantially semicircular shape, it is possible toincrease the area of the air flow passage through which the internalspace 62, which is formed by the cover member 60 and the housing 30,communicates with the space on the battery portion 12 side when the cap70 is assembled to the cartridge 20. Accordingly, for example, when theair inlet port is provided on the upstream side (battery portion 12side) of the cap 70, the air can be supplied to the internal space 62from the upstream side of the cap 70. The cover member may not includethe air inlet port. Note that the cap 70 illustrated in FIG. 20 does notinclude the protrusion portion 75 of the cap 70 illustrated in FIGS. 2to 16 , but may include the protrusion portion 75 in the seal region 74.Moreover, the reception portions 76 have a form of a hole penetratingthrough the cap side surface 73 and the first surface 71, but mayinstead have a form of a recess portion penetrating through the cap sidesurface 73 and the first surface 71.

Examples of the cap 70 in various forms have been described heretofore.The connector members 79 are an optional component of the cap 70illustrated in FIGS. 17 to 21 . Accordingly, when the cap 70 illustratedin FIGS. 17 to 21 does not include connector members 79, the lead wireof the heater 50 and the terminal of the battery portion 12 or the leadwire of the battery portion 12 are directly connected.

Second Embodiment

Next, an inhaler 10 according to the second embodiment is described. Theinhaler 10 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of thefirst embodiment except for a cartridge 20. Therefore, only thecartridge 20 is described. FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view ofthe cartridge 20 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 23 is aperspective view of the cartridge 20 according to the second embodimentin a state where a cap 70, a liquid holding member 40, and a heater 50are assembled to a housing 30. As illustrated in FIG. 22 , the cartridge20 includes the housing 30, the liquid holding member 40, the heater 50,and the cap 70. Furthermore, the cartridge 20 according to the secondembodiment includes retaining rings 90 for fixing the heater 50 and theliquid holding member 40 to the housing 30.

As illustrated in FIG. 22 , the partition member 36 includes two pins 91provided around a liquid supply port 32. The pins 91 are extended fromthe partition member 36 in the transverse direction of the cartridge 20.The liquid holding member 40 has insertion holes 41 into which the pins91 are inserted. When the cartridge 20 is assembled, the cap 70 isattached to a tank 31 in the manner of sealing an opening 33. Next, thepins 91 are inserted into the insertion holes 41 of the liquid holdingmember 40, and the liquid holding member 40 is arranged on the cartridge20 to cover the liquid supply port 32. The heater 50 is arranged on theliquid holding member 40 such that the pins 91 are arranged within theheater 50 having a U shape. At this time, lead wires 51 of the heater 50are received on reception portions 76 of the cap 70. The member of thepins 91 is not particularly limited, but is preferably a heat-resistancemember, e.g., ceramic.

Thereafter, the retaining rings 90 are fit to the pins 91. Furthermore,a cover member 60 closes a cutout portion 35 of a housing body 30 a.Thus, the retaining rings 90 are held down by the cover member 60,preventing the retaining rings 90 from being removed from the pins 91.Thus, the heater 50 and the liquid holding member 40 are fixed to thehousing 30.

As the cover member 60 used in the second embodiment, the cover member60 illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12 described in the first embodiment canbe adopted. Moreover, as the cap 70 used in the second embodiment, thecap 70 illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 21 described in the first embodimentcan be adopted. Moreover, the partition member 36 according to thesecond embodiment is described to include one liquid supply port 32, butis not limited thereto and can include any number of liquid supply ports32.

Although the embodiments of the present invention are described above,the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodimentsand various modifications may be made within the scope of the technicalidea described in the claims, the specification, or the drawings. Notethat, any shape or material not directly described in the specificationor the drawings falls within the scope of the technical idea of theinvention of the present application insofar as the shape or materialprovides an operation and effect of the invention of the presentapplication.

REFERENCE SIGN LIST

-   10 inhaler-   12 battery portion-   20 cartridge-   30 housing-   30 a housing body-   31 tank-   31 a accommodation space-   32 liquid supply port-   33 opening-   34 air outlet port-   36 partition member-   40 liquid holding member-   50 heater-   51 lead wire-   60 cover member-   61 air inlet port-   62 air flow passage-   70 cap

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for supplying a liquid to aninhaler cartridge, the method comprising the steps of: closing a firstopening with a cap, after the first opening is closed and before aporous member covers a second opening, supplying a liquid to anaccommodation space through the second opening, and after the liquid issupplied to the accommodation space, bringing the porous member intocontact with the liquid to hold the liquid in the porous member, whereinthe porous member includes a liquid holding member, and wherein the stepof holding the liquid in the porous member includes a step of coveringthe second opening with the porous member.
 2. The method according toclaim 1, comprising the step of: engaging a conductor constituting partof an electric path between a heating element and a battery portion withthe cap and bringing the heating element into contact with a surface ofthe liquid holding member.
 3. The method according to claim 2,comprising the step of: after the heating element is brought intocontact with a surface of the liquid holding member, attaching a covermember to a housing body to define an air flow passage.
 4. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the porous member includes a porousheating element.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein an area ofa surface of the porous member facing the second opening is larger thanan opening area of the second opening.
 6. The method according to claim1, wherein the second opening includes a plurality of openings, ahousing body includes a partition member partitioning the plurality ofopenings, and the step of covering the second opening with the porousmember includes a step of supporting the porous member with thepartition member.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein an openingarea of the second opening is larger than an opening area of the firstopening.
 8. A method for supplying a liquid to an inhaler cartridge, themethod comprising the steps of: closing a first opening with a cap,after the first opening is closed and before a porous member covers asecond opening, supplying a liquid to an accommodation space through thesecond opening, and after the liquid is supplied to the accommodationspace, bringing the porous member into contact with the liquid to holdthe liquid in the porous member, wherein the porous member includes aporous heating element, and wherein the step of holding the liquid inthe porous member includes a step of covering the second opening withthe porous member.
 9. A method for supplying a liquid to an inhalercartridge, the method comprising the steps of: closing a first openingwith a cap, after the first opening is closed and before a porous membercovers a second opening, supplying a liquid to an accommodation spacethrough the second opening, and after the liquid is supplied to theaccommodation space, bringing the porous member into contact with theliquid to hold the liquid in the porous member, wherein an area of asurface of the porous member facing the second opening is larger than anopening area of the second opening.
 10. A method for supplying a liquidto an inhaler cartridge, the method comprising the steps of: closing afirst opening with a cap, after the first opening is closed, supplying aliquid to an accommodation space through a second opening, and after theliquid is supplied to the accommodation space, bringing a porous memberinto contact with the liquid to hold the liquid in the porous member,wherein the second opening includes a plurality of openings, wherein thehousing body includes a partition member partitioning the plurality ofopenings, and wherein the step of covering the second opening with theporous member includes a step of supporting the porous member with thepartition member.